In cased you haven’t heard, public relations executive Steve Turnbo of Tulsa has taken the reins of the statewide chamber of commerce.

We’ve written about Turnbo’s PR firm before: Turnbo’s firm, which has mishandled the poultry litigation to the delight of W.A.D. Edmondson, botched the ill-fated river improvements campaign and masterminded Oral Roberts University’s pathetic attempt to fool the public during the financial scandal, is moving on to head the chamber of commerce!

Insiders tell OKPNS that while Schnake Turnbo’s ability to produce typical PR campaigns is excellent, their public affairs acumen is simply awful. “They simply stink at public affairs, but they are good at fooling companies into hiring them,” says one observer.

So now the firm’s head is taking the lead at the state chamber, which is regarded by many capitol observers as an out-of-touch and fairly ineffective lobbying organization. You may recall Sen. “Dirty Harry” Coates’ unflattering comments regarding the chamber of commerce’s lobbyists.

Either way, watching the leader of one of the state’s most ineffective public affairs firms directing one of the state’s most ineffective lobbying groups should lead to a lot of fun.

It’s been the “homer” trial for the past few days: local writers and reporters, some who have never covered a trial, filing reports that dismiss the day’s big picture and suck up to the local powers. Here’s the best report we’ve seen, and it comes from the Seattle media.

We’ve had a number of e-mails asking our opinion of the best and worst. The aforementioned piece is the most solid report we’ve observed, but the worst reporting has come under the head of commentary, and the worst commentary has been performed by lawyer Irvin Box for News9’s coverage.

We’re not critical of News9’s reports, but Box, who practices criminal law and does a solid job in that regard, is in way over his head, and is doing a disservice to the News9 coverage, which is anchored in Seattle by the always solid Alex Cameron. Day after day, Box offered slanted and out-of-perspective commentary.

The top-ranked television station deserved fair and balanced commentary, and Box used the opportunity to suck up to local power brokers instead of giving viewers what they deserved.

Chairman J.C. Watts, Jr. recently appointed veteran Democrats Steve Pruitt and Holly Pitt Young to head Watts Partners. Watts Partners is the government relations arm of the J.C. Watts Companies.

“Steve and Holly both have a proven track record of successfully working with members of Congress as well as large corporations and trade associations. Combined, they bring more than 40 years of fundraising and consulting experience to our company and will be a great addition to my management team,” said J.C. Watts, Jr., Chairman of the J.C. Watts Companies.

In his new role as managing partner, Steve Pruitt is responsible for spearheading bipartisan political strategies for the firm and its clients. In a distinguished Washington career spanning more than three decades, Steve has earned a reputation as a respected and knowledgeable congressional legislative and public policy expert and strategist. He has served under congressional Democrats in numerous key positions, including as Staff Director of the Committee on the Budget of the United States House of Representatives and as a senior legislative and political advisor to Congressman William H. Gray, III (D-PA). Steve holds the honor of being the first African American to ever direct the staff of a major congressional committee.

“I am honored to have this opportunity to grow this firm’s presence and activities in the government relations arena. We have an experienced and talented team of former White House and Capitol Hill veterans whom I look forward to leading in the years ahead,” said Pruitt.

Holly Pitt Young now serves as associate managing partner, responsible for working with the team on client development. Holly brings to her new role more than15 years of experience working with organizations to develop successful government affairs strategies. Prior to joining Watts Partners, she served as Senior Vice President for the Political Involvement Practice at Democracy Data & Communications. Holly has worked with over 100 corporations, trade associations, and non-profit organizations to develop strategic government relations and constituent mobilization programs.

“My experience with both Republicans and Democrats has instilled in me the knowledge of working on policy issues that represents the best of both parties in a bipartisan way,” said Holly Pitt Young.

In addition, Holly has hosted events and fundraisers for more than 60 Members of Congress and worked on Capitol Hill for Representatives Charles Taylor of North Carolina and Doc Hastings of Washington State.

Michelle Byte over at GetRightOK.com alerted us to a new website she’s started. It’s called www.appointgaryjones.blogspot.com. She says the site will have a link for reader’s to send a message to the governor and she will post “stuff I find elsewhere.” She also plans to occasionally write a few of her thoughts on the site.

“This website is all about doing what is right in this case, and to right the wrong that was done to Gary Jones and to the Oklahoma voters.”

…so there will be no one left to indict me?!? This Wikipedia listing for Stipe shows a long history of his run ins with the law starting in 1968:

In 1968, Stipe was indicted on charges of federal income tax evasion for allegedly failing to pay taxes on $110,000 in income, but was later acquitted of the charges. In 1975, he was paid $100,000 plus expenses to assist William Con Sutherland in a bankruptcy case involving Sutherland’s vending machine empire. Stipe was accused by bankruptcy trustees of taking his retainer fee from illegally-diverted funds. In an out-of-court settlement, Stipe repaid $60,000 in order to resolve the dispute.

Stipe was briefly a candidate for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Dewey F. Bartlett in 1978, but dropped out of the race, which was later won by Governor David L. Boren. The following year, he was indicted by a federal grand jury for his alleged role in securing a fraudulent Small Business Administration loan for McAlester Frozen Foods, a food processing company based in Stipe’s district. He was acquitted on those charges in 1981. While awaiting trial in the SBA loan case, he was indicted by another federal jury on charges of fraud, extortion, and conspiracy relating to his intervention in an extradition case involving a Colorado man.

In April 2003, Stipe pleaded guilty to federal charges of perjury, conspiracy to obstruct a Federal Election Commission investigation, and conspiracy to violate the Federal Election Campaign Act, relating to his alleged role in funneling illegal contributions to the failed 1998 congressional campaign of Walt Roberts in Oklahoma’s 3rd Congressional District.

The following January, he was sentenced to five years probation, six months home detention, 1,000 hours of community service, and fined $735,567. Furthermore, he also agreed to forfeit his license to practice law.

In September, 2007, federal authorities filed a petition seeking to have Stipe’s probation revoked as a result of his alleged ongoing relationship with a convicted felon. On September 28, a federal judge ordered Stipe, who suffers from hydrocephalus, diabetes, and prostate cancer, to undergo a mental competency evaluation at the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri, following a parole revocation hearing in which Stipe required prompting from his attorneys to answer questions, and according to the judge, appeared to be drugged or hypnotized.

Shortly thereafter, Stipe and his brother, Francis were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of mail fraud, witness tampering, money laundering, and conspiracy, relating to their alleged role in a real estate deal involving a pet food company owned by Gene Stipe’s former business partner, Steve Phipps. The witness tampering charge stems from allegations that the Stipe brothers engaged in a conspriacy to buy the mortgage on a home owned by former Oklahoma State Representative Mike Mass in an attempt to influence his testimony in the case.

By Kathleen Hunter, CQ Staff

Senate Democrats are setting up a showdown with a thorn in their side: Oklahoma conservative Tom Coburn .

Majority Leader Harry Reid and other top Democrats have decided to bundle an undetermined number of bills that have at least one thing in common: Coburn has blocked them by exercising a hold.

Packaging the mostly unrelated measures would give Democrats a chance to illustrate one of their election themes: The majority must resort to extreme measures to move bills that would be passed easily if Republican obstructionists would allow votes.

“Bills that are non-controversial, that move the country forward, albeit in a small way, are being blocked, and we’re going to have to do something about that,” said Charles E. Schumer of New York, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

The Democratic strategy, likely to play out during July, will test party loyalties. Republicans will have to decide whether to advance bills they support or stand behind Coburn as he demands the ability to debate and amend bills on the floor.

Coburn said Tuesday he is prepared to dig in his heels and make it tough for Democrats to pass their package unless he is permitted to offer amendments.

“The fact is, if they come to the floor it’s going to take a while to move it if we don’t get any amendments,” Coburn said. “There might be a filibuster or two in real terms.” Read more…

Hat tip: American Anachronism

Former Congressman Ernest Istook took time out his busy schedule to reply to a blogger’s misgivings concerning the new Democrat mantra against “Big Oil,” in particular, their criticism that the oil companies are not exploiting the vast majority of already granted oil drilling leases. Below is Mr. Istook’s reply:

Col. Ward —

First, thank you for your service to our country. We can never express that often enough. Your general description of the oil and gas business is on-target. And the congressional comment you cite sounds to me like it came straight out of the playbook of environmentalists who want to mislead Americans. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) is not alone in the claims he makes. (And here’s a weblink to his comments)

Evidently, talking points are being circulated encouraging a lot of Congressmen to make claims like this. Here’s another example from a floor speech by Rep. David Wu (D-OR): “WHY SHOULD WE OPEN LAND FOR DRILLING WHEN BIG OIL ISN’T EVEN DRILLING WHERE THEY HAVE LEASES?” (Mr. WU asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.) Mr. Wu goes on: “Madam Speaker, it is no wonder that the only Republican solution to our record high gas prices is more drilling. Who would expect anything less when two former oil executives occupy the White House? The problem is that this has been the Republican energy plan for the last 7 years. It was created in secret by Vice President CHENEY and oil executives. And it is responsible for the record high oil prices that we all face at the pump today. Republicans claim that we could lower the price at the pump if we would only approve more and more drilling leases. That is their rhetoric. Here are the facts. Oil companies do not need new areas to drill. They need to focus on areas that are already opened to them. Of the 42 million acres of Federal land currently leased by oil and gas companies, only about 12 million acres are actually being drilled to produce oil and natural gas. Madam Speaker, if the Republican claims about more drilling are correct, why aren’t they demanding Big Oil explore drilling on the 30 million acres of Federal land that are already open to them but that they refuse to explore?”

Believe me, with oil at $130 per barrel, they would drill on those lands if it made sense to do so! No, not all oil and gas leases are “being used”, because not all of them have production-worthy quantities of oil or gas. Lots of people have property that is not being used, but government doesn’t use it as an excuse to take it away, or to forbid the owners from buying other property.

First, a company may lease property, but never have the funds to properly explore it or drill an exploratory well. Second, after paying for further tests (such as seismic), they often decide the lease isn’t worth the high, high costs of drilling after all. Or they may hold onto the lease for years until either higher oil prices or new technology makes it feasible to drill. Third, a company may lease property but drill on another tract (which drains a “pool” that covers multiple leased tracts), so perhaps they’re counting it as “not used” if no well is sunk on that particular piece of property. Fourth, they may try to drill and be blocked by government bureaucrats, environmental lawsuits, etc.

Finally, not all acres are alike. Some have lots of oil. Others have virtually known. Saying they’re not drilling for oil everywhere is like faulting them for not digging a gold mine on every acre.

I’ll also check around to see if there’s a more specific comeback to that.

Thanks for writing. –Ernest Istook

Related:

Hat tip: Gateway Pundit

“While he voted against the Employee Free Choice Act and supports the Columbia Free Trade Agreement…” Hat tip: Conium

Related: 

AP: Oklahoma Rep. Boren Says He’ll Back Obama After All

By Kirk Shelley

When you are attacked, don’t give your opponent additional ink by repeating their charge verbatim. That’s not always easy; it takes some experience and finesse to really turn their attack into a counter attack that makes your political enemies look bad.

The Obama people did a good job of it by deflecting some of the pedantic accusations by Sen. Clinton. But the Oklahoma Republican Party sent out an alert that points out what you don’t what to do. Here’s what it said:

“Out-of-state special interests are trying to convince Oklahomans that Senator Inhofe doesn’t have a pro-veteran voting record. But we know better… Senator Inhofe has been a champion for men and women in uniform and his record for our veterans and men and women in uniform speaks for itself.”

The email goes on to defend Inhofe’s record and ends with a video with vets saying why they support Inhofe. That’s the problem — by putting their charge near the top of your release you are then stuck in a position of defending yourself in your own release.

Do you remember Richard Nixon most memorable lines? “The American people need to know if their President is a crook. I’m not a crook.” Dumb. Why give people that image? “Boy I wonder if Nixon really is a crook?”

Now I’m wondering (because I am a veteran) – “does Inhofe have a bad voting record on vet issues? Doesn’t make sense, I’ll have to look into it.” By the way, to me looking into it does not mean listening to a campaign video. I would be much more likely to listen to the video if it’s at the top, before the charge. After the charge I’m going to look at it with jaundiced eyes – “they are saying a bunch of good stuff, what is he trying to hide?” Why? Because the accusation against Inhofe was placed in my mind by Inhofe supporters.

It makes more sense to start your release with the great things Inhofe has done for vets, name groups or leaders that are supporting him because of his veteran support, run the video and get me full of warm fuzzy patriotic feelings about our senior Senator. Then attack the “the self styled out of state liberals who have the gall to lie about our Senator.” Heck why stop there, go after the group attacking you and then tie them to other groups that might go after you.

Hmmm, why does that tactic seems familiar? Oh yes, that’s what Obama’s campaign team did by leaking a rumor that Republican groups had a tape of Obama’s wife complaining about “Whitey.” What was the point in that move? Obama’s team then smeared all the bloggers who wrote the story (rumor). What’s the result? Mainstream media can dismiss stories generated by bloggers because they are “unfounded rumor mongers.”

Not fair, but heck the mainstream media hates the bloggers anyway. Obama’s tactics just made it easier to ignore what they don’t like.

Come on GOP, you got to remember the basics.

Kirk Shelley

www.kirkshelley.com

oklahomacontraian@gmail.com

Mr. Shelley is President of Shelley Strategic Services. His consulting for pro-business organizations has included successfully completed projects in Iowa, Oklahoma, Indiana, Kentucky, Nevada, New Mexico, Mississippi, Arizona, Louisiana and Alabama. As a general consultant, Mr. Shelley has worked on 137 State House and Senate campaigns in 5 states and has a winning percentage of 92%.

A graduate of East Carolina University, Mr. Shelley lives in Oklahoma City with his wife and four children.